Paris



May 26, 1931. J. FIEUX 1,806,992

` DEVICE FOR BRINGING A MOVING BODY TO REST Filed N Ov. 9, 1928 Patented May 26, 1931 'Y UNITEDSTA i Es PATENT oFFiCE A JEAN FIEUX, or rARIs, FRANCE, AssIGNon or oNn-HAL-r 'ro SCHNEIDER a GIE., or

PARIS, FRANCEL` A LIMITED JOINT STOCK' CQMPANY OF 'FRATGE c nnvIcE non BRINGING A MOVING BODY 'ro vRns'r Y 4.Application filed November -9, 1928, Serial No. 318,203; and in France, January 25, 1928.

It has already 4been proposed to bring an aeroplane to rest gradually in a short distance when it is coming to ground, by arrest-V ing the travel of the aeroplane by means of a cable unwinding from a drum subjected to a braking action, thedrum being mounted in a Vfixed position (on thelanding ground, deck of fa ship, etc.) or upon the moving body itsel lith these devices it is necessary each time the moving body has been brought to rest, to release the brake in order vto permit the cable tolbe rewound fand then to tighten upk the brake again for subsequently stopping anr other moving body. Two operations are therefore necessary which take up a certain amount of time and an omission to tighten up the brake after the cable has been rewound on thejdrum may also have serious consequences,

The present invention relates to a device of the known type described above, that is to say comprisingthe useof a cable unwinding from a winch drum subjected to a braking action, but characterized by'means which obviate the disadvantages inherent to the said arrangement, these means further comprising advantages of economy whichV will "be described hereinafter. Y l Y The device accordingto the invention is characterized by the feature that the brake acting uponithe" drum from whichthe cable unwinds is connected to a. non-reversible control which, when actuated in the suitable direction, permits the drum and the braking members tightly applied upon it to be driven as an integral unit in order to rewind the cable.

As the drum thus remains in permanent frictional connection with the winch shaft the work of slackening and tightening the brake between two operations is therefore obviated.

A practical embodiment of the invention i presenting very special advantages with'rewith said vehicle.

winding enters into action thereby gradually `name of spiral brakes. these spiral-brake members press upon pins Fig. 2 is a cross section taken along the line `2 2in Fig. 1, these two figures showing a .winch mounted in a fixed position and a drum upon which the restraining cable winds and unwinds.

Fig. 2a is a side viewV of one of the helical springs shown in section in Figs. l and 2. i

a hollow, wide-mouth loop, one element of which is arranged transversely to the travel of the vehicle to be stopped and is adapted to be grasped by a suitable receiving member, i"

as for example, an arresting hookV integral The result thereof is that Y the ends 5 5 of the cable unwind and consequently that the brake which opposes this un bringing the vehicle to rest. The inner surface of this drum is subjected to the friction of brake members 6 6 in the form of helical springs which are known generally under the Si 4rigid with the casing 3 3 while the Aends 9 9 press upon pins 1O 1O rigid with plates 11 11 adapted to oscillate upon the shaft 2 2 and havingcavities in which are housed coil springs 12 12. An adjustable 5 of a cable which, in a well known manner, after passage over guide pulleys, forms The ends 7 7 of tension is given to these springs by projections .13 13 which act as seatings'for the latter and form part of the toothed crowns 14-14 carried by the hollow trunnions 15 15 rigid with the casing 3 3.

Pinions 16-16 engaging with the teeth of the crowns lll- 111' are keyed upon a shaft journalled in the casing.3 8 and serving as a shaft for the toothed wheel 18 rigid with this shaft. This wheel 18 engages with a pinion 19 rigid with a'shaft 201 journalled in the shaft 2 .and upon which are keyed a hand lever 21 and an arm 22 which carries unequal planet wheels 23, 24 rigid Vwith one and the same shaftv 25. The pinion 23 engages with the internal teeth of a disc shaped dial 26 loosely mounted upon the shaft 20 while the pinion 24 engages with the internal teeth of an indicator carrying member 27 keyed upon the shaft 2. Dial 26 is graduated in tension values so as to cooperate with indicator carrying member 27 to indicate the amount of tension in springs l2 l2. The handle 28 of the hand lever 2l is rigid with a pin 29 slidable through lever 21 and adapted to enin the holes 30 formed in the indicator carrying member 27. Upon the end of the shaft 2 is keyed a wheel 31 engaging with a worm 32 adapted to be actuated in order to cause the cables 5 5 to be wound upon the drum 4 4 when the friction between the latter and the spiral brake members 6 6 is sufiicient.

The system of worm wheels 31, 32 is nonreversible so as to be capable of preventing any movement of rotation of the whole arrangement of the members contained in the drum L -1l when the worm 32 is allowed to remain at rest.

The directions in which the spiral brake members 6 6 are wound are such that the tension of the springs 12-12, tending to displace the plates lll-11 angularly with respect to the crowns M M, has the effect of developing compressive forces at the end of the terminal turns and consequently of pressing the said spiral brake members against the drum 4 4.

During the unwinding of the cable 5 5 receiving the pull from the moving body upon the speed of which the braking action is to be exerted, the direction of rotation of the drum 4 4 must be such that the friction developed acts upon the spiral brake members 6 6 in the same direction as the pressure of the pins 8 8.

T he pull upon the cables 5 5 is limited by this friction, which itself depends upon the tension of the springs 12 12 and consequently of the number of turns through which the shaft 20 has been made to turn relatively to the shaft 2.

The engagement of the pin 29 in one of the holes 30 permits the tension of the springs 12 12 to be set at the desired value according to the indications given by the rotation counter formed by the members 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27.

When, as result of a pull, exerted upon the cable 5 5 by the vehicle which is coming to rest (aeroplane or other) slip tends to be produced between the two members 4 4 of the drum and the brake members 6 6', the friction thus developed has the effect of relieving the pins 8 8. Consequently the force exerted on the free end (7 7) of the spiral springs tends to be annulled to the extent which is necessary for generating the desired braking force.

The rewinding of the cable, after it haslfi` been unwound with a View to stopping the vehicle or the aeroplane, may be effected immediately without requiring any action upon the brakes, by simply actuating the screw 32 by a motor or by hand, this actuation causing the drum, the brakes and the regulating system to be driven as an integral unit.

A suitable adjustment will naturally have A connected to said brake and moving as an integral unit with the brake during the winding action of the drum.

2. In a device for gradually bringing a moving body to rest, the combination of a cable, a drum upon which said cable is wound, a shaft upon which said drum turns, helical spring brake members 1n constant frictlonal relation with the interior of the drum, ad

justable tension members governing the fric- A tion between said drum and brake members,

and a non-reversible control connected with said brake members and moving as a unit therewith during the winding action of the drum.

3. In a device for gradually bringing a moving body to rest, the combination of a cable, a drum upon which said cable is Wound, a shaft upon which said drum turns, helical spring brake members in constant frictional relation with the interior of said drum, a set of plates rigid with said shaft and supporting the least loaded ends of the said brake members during the unwinding of the cable, a second set of plates oscillating on said shaft and supporting the more heavily loaded ends of said brake members during the unwinding of the cable, and a non-reversible control actuating said shaft in one direction only.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

JEAN FIEUX. 

